


An Elegant Feline

by CloversDreams



Category: Dr. STONE (Anime), Dr. STONE (Manga)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, M/M, a family can be a beauty a gremlin and their goblin, me: lol they need a cat, no one:, not a soul:, this is the only cat breed for xeno, you cant change my mind
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:07:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25128250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloversDreams/pseuds/CloversDreams
Summary: “What is that!” Stanley shrieked in the most undignified way.“It’s a cat,” Xeno replied matter-of-factly.“It’s naked,” Stanley countered.“You fight off bears, crocodiles, and even other humans without batting an eye. Yet such a small creature causes you to make a sound like that? Pull yourself together.” Xeno snorted. He turned towards the little beastie and blinked. Fascinating. Of all creatures to run into out in the wild, they stumbled upon a hairless cat. Thousands of years of evolution and fighting for survival hadn’t changed this animal at all.Stanley’s cheeks darkened and he cleared his throat. “It just surprised me. What are you… Come on, don’t touch it.”Xeno crouched down and offered the cat his left hand. It sniffed the claws on his glove curiously, then it bat at them, quite perplexed by their purpose. It looked at him and blinked before it decided to rub its cheek against the claws. Xeno’s gaze was fixed upon the little creature as he said, “Stan, this cat is elegant.”“I’m seriously starting to doubt that you understand what that word means, Doc,” Stanley muttered. He scrunched his face at the hairless monstrosity that claimed to be a cat.
Relationships: Stanley Snyder/Dr. Xeno
Comments: 20
Kudos: 129





	An Elegant Feline

It was a warm, sunny day. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and birds chirped happily in the trees in every direction. A friendly breeze even tousled his hair playfully as if to say ‘smile!’. Xeno ignored all of these things. He didn’t have time for such nonsense. He continued to walk with purpose towards his destination.

“Nice day to go for a stroll,” Stanley said to no one in particular. He took a puff of his cigarette and exhaled the smoke.

Xeno glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. It took a mere second to see that the guy was completely serious. Well that just wouldn’t do. He shook his head then explained, “This isn’t some pointless _stroll_. This is surveillance. We are checking the perimeter of our territory for anything suspicious. During this process we are also making sure the devices are all working correctly.”

Stanley removed the cigarette from his mouth and tapped it so the excess ash fell away. He shrugged and replied, “Still a nice day, though.”

“I suppose it’s leaning towards the elegant side,” Xeno reluctantly agreed. They continued to walk in silence while Stanley took in their surroundings. To anyone else it might seem like he was simply enjoying the sights. Xeno knew better. The man didn’t wear that armor for any leisurely activity. He was on high alert as he observed everything within a certain proximity of them. If any threats were located, he’d eliminate them on the spot. The man was as reliable as they came.

This little venture of theirs was taking a bit longer than Xeno thought it would. He found his stomach didn’t care for the fact that he hadn’t eaten before they left. That had been a miscalculation on his end. He glanced at his companion and asked, “I don’t suppose you brought any–”

Xeno didn’t get to finish the thought before Stanley reached into his armor and removed something. He held up the cloth that was tied off at the top so the contents didn’t escape and smiled as he asked, “Hungry?”

“Above and beyond, as usual,” Xeno replied as he took it. He held up and examined the little baggie of snacks as he muttered, “Having you around proves to be more useful than I ever thought it’d be.”

“No need to sweet talk me, Doc,” Stanley said before he blew out a puff of smoke. He winked at Xeno then added, “I’m already yours.”

“Indeed.” As it had been since even before they were petrified. Xeno squinted at the small sack he held. He didn’t know what Stanley had packed in it and decided to give it a curious shake. There was a soft rattling inside. Nuts, perhaps? Or was it dried meat? He pulled on the string to open it then paused when a nearby bush rustled.

Stanley was in front of him in the blink of an eye. Xeno had to stand on his tippy-toes to peek around the bulky armor. Xeno’s eyes widened as a small, wrinkly creature stepped out of the bushes and stretched.

“What is _that_!” Stanley shrieked in the most undignified way. He jumped when Xeno shoved him aside so he could get a better look.

“It’s a cat,” Xeno replied matter-of-factly.

“It’s naked,” Stanley countered.

“You fight off bears, crocodiles, and even other humans without batting an eye. Yet such a small creature causes you to make a sound like that? Pull yourself together.” Xeno snorted. He turned towards the little beastie and blinked. Fascinating. Of all creatures to run into out in the wild, they stumbled upon a hairless cat. Thousands of years of evolution and fighting for survival hadn’t changed this animal at all. What a stubborn little thing.

Stanley’s cheeks darkened and he cleared his throat. “It just surprised me. What are you… Come on, don’t touch it.”

Xeno crouched down and offered the cat his left hand. It sniffed the claws on his glove curiously, then it bat at them, quite perplexed by their purpose. It looked at him and blinked before it decided to rub its cheek against the claws. Xeno’s gaze was fixed upon the little creature as he said, “Stan, this cat is elegant.”

“I’m seriously starting to doubt that you understand what that word means, Doc,” Stanley muttered. He scrunched his face at the hairless monstrosity that claimed to be a cat.

Xeno rolled his eyes. The cat stepped closer to him then meowed. He frowned and muttered, “What? I don’t speak cat.” He watched as it sniffed the small sack he held. “Ah, I see. I don’t know if there’s anything in here suitable for a cat to eat, though.”

The cat wandered over to Stanley and walked in a circle around him as it sniffed his legs. It sat near his feet and meowed for his attention. When it didn’t get what it wanted it stood on its hind legs and pawed at his calf.

“Do you have more food on you, Stan?” Xeno asked curiously.

“No. I helped bring a fresh haul of fish into the kitchen earlier, though.” Stanley brought his right hand to his face and sniffed it. “I thought I’d gotten the scent out of my gloves.”

Xeno stood up then declared, “New plan. Let’s head back and get this fine specimen some fish.”

“What about the devices?” Stanley reminded him.

“They’ll be fine until tomorrow.” Xeno started to walk back the way they came. He waved a hand over his shoulder and called, “Come along, you two.”

“I can’t believe you made me carry that thing all the way back here,” Stanley groaned. He glared at the cat as it explored its new surroundings with the utmost curiosity. Ridiculous thing had the audacity to purr almost the entire way, too. As if he _intended_ to treat it like royalty.

Xeno shook his head and replied, “I did no such thing. I simply told you to follow me.”

“And you’d find some way to blame me if it wandered off,” Stanley snorted. He sat on the edge of the bed and watched the doctor’s back for a moment.

Xeno picked up the small bowl he’d set on the table, careful not to let his claws get in the way. He’d had enough practice with them by this point that it was second nature to him. It really wasn’t that difficult to work with them after a while. He looked around for the cat then placed the bowl onto the ground nearby and said, “This dihydrogen monoxide is fresh. Hydrate.”

The cat scurried away and peeked at him from behind the bed. It crouched down low and its ears twitched as it watched the doctor.

“He probably thinks you’re trying to poison him when you call it that,” Stanley sighed.

“He’s a cat. He has no concept of what this would or wouldn’t be called.” Xeno disagreed. He turned away from the water bowl then added, “Furthermore, I refuse to use that ridiculous baby talk with him and neither should you. We’re not raising an idiot.”

“There’s no _we_ ,” Stanley countered. He clicked his tongue and shook his head before he explained, “You took it in. You’re responsible for it.”

“You’d make me do this alone?” Xeno asked.

“Yup,” Stanley replied without missing a beat. He lit a new cigarette and stretched out across the bed so he was comfortable. He turned his head away from Xeno– an action that was very catlike in itself– to show his disinterest in the situation.

Xeno tried once again to beckon the cat over to himself only to watch it run and hide instead. It seemed there was no choice in the matter. Xeno held his chin in the air and declared, “Admittedly, I’m not very good with felines.” He waited for Stanley to glance in his direction. “So I’m asking you, as my most trusted subordinate, if you’ll assist me.”

Stanley blew out a puff of smoke. He rolled his cigarette between his pointer and thumb as he asked, “You’re asking not ordering, huh?”

“That’s right.” Xeno nodded.

“Hmm…” Stanley brought his cigarette to his mouth and paused. “I’m 49% convinced.”

“That’s not even half,” Xeno grumbled.

“No, but you can change that if you call me something other than your subordinate~” Stanley knew that the singsong tone of his voice and little smile on his face were quite telling. It was obvious what he wanted to hear.

“Right hand m–”

“Nope.” Stanley interjected.

“Loyal–”

“Try again,” Stanley cut him off.

Xeno pursed his lips together and frowned. “Blackmail won’t be tolerated, you know.”

“That’s not even sort of what this is, hon.” Stanley continued to eye him as he explained, “It’s me, your most loyal, trusted subordinate, with a humble request.” He finally put the cigarette back between his lips then said, “Why don’t you try something that’s only ever said behind closed doors?”

“An…gel…” Xeno muttered under his breath.

“What was that? I couldn’t hear you.”

“I said _Angel_!” Xeno shouted. He did his best to ignore the way his cheeks burned as if he was some ridiculous teenager. Only this man ever got such foolish reactions out of him. Xeno found it infuriating.

Stanley’s eyes widened slightly but quickly returned to normal. A grin spread across his face and he couldn’t help but snicker, “I thought you’d start small with a nice endearing ‘honey’ or ‘baby’ but there you go raising the bar right from the start.”

“Shut up and answer the question.” As soon as Xeno said it he wished he hadn’t. Even so, he stood firm and didn’t let that show on his face. That was exactly what Stanley wanted, after all.

“Anyone ever tell you that you’re really cute when you’re flustered, Doc?” Stanley mused. He winked at the doctor then huffed softly when a certain hairless, wrinkly beast jumped onto the bed. Stanley eyed the cat as he sighed, “Very well. I’ll help since you asked so nicely.” He reached out to tap his cigarette above the nearby ashtray. “That sexy brain of yours works fast so have you thought of a name yet?”

Xeno sat on the other end of the bed and pointed one of his elongated, metal claws at the cat in question. It meandered over to him and rubbed up against the outstretched digit. “His name is Pythagoras.”

“That’s, uh…” Stanley settled for taking another drag off his cigarette instead of finishing the thought aloud.

“Elegant, I know,” Xeno nodded as he scratched near the cat’s tail.

“Sure, we’ll go with that,” Stanley all but sighed. He made a soft ‘pspsps’ sound to get the cat’s attention and it immediately perked up then hurried over to him to investigate the noise. He pet its wrinkly head and snorted, “You’re really not cute at all, are you? Even your name feels awful on the tongue, yes it does.”

Xeno narrowed his eyes at the other man and said, “You are not allowed to insult Pythagoras or his namesake in this bedroom.”

“I would never,” Stanley gasped in mock offense. He eyed Xeno and purred, “Wouldn’t want you to have to discipline me, now would we? It’d be just terrible if you had to hold me down and do something like that.”

“Don’t talk like that around him,” Xeno grunted. He headed from the room without another word.

Stanley blew out a puff of smoke as he watched the doctor leave. He glanced at the cat next to himself then sighed, “Should’ve called you Sergeant Buzzkill.” The meow he received in response was very clearly in disagreement. He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

_One month later…_

“Knock, knock. Just checking in on my favorite science lad.” Stanley said loudly as he walked into the lab.

“I despise that term,” Xeno grunted without looking up from what he was working on. He could feel the taller man’s presence right behind himself.

“I know.” Stanley replied with a smile. He looked over Xeno's shoulder as he asked, “What you up to? More weapon schematics? Doomsday devices?”

“Trying to figure out a scaled down version of the armor I made you that would work for Pythagoras.” Xeno explained. He tapped a claw against his own cheek then added, “It's the head protection giving me the most problems. The bear trap-like design works for you, but isn’t suitable for a cat.”

“Can't say that was the response I was expecting but I love that you constantly find new ways to surprise me,” Stanley chuckled. He looked around and found that the cat in question was perched on a shelf between some jars of questionable liquid. Creepy. He fit in perfectly. “If you ask me, he himself is the bear trap.”

“Come again?”

Stanley motioned towards the cat and said, “Just look at that face. It clearly says, ‘I’ve killed more bears than your pitiful human minds could comprehend’. Frankly, I believe him.”

“While that notion is horribly far-fetched, I'll admit that he is a rather impressive specimen.” Xeno agreed. Maybe not quite bears, but the cat certainly had destroyed more than its fair share of sweaters. No matter what Xeno attempted to make it out of, Pythagoras tore it to shreds moments after they put it on him. A true nudist.

“Well he’d have to be in order to be your pet,” Stanley agreed.

Xeno rolled his eyes and asked, “Are you here for a reason or did you just feel like stroking my ego?”

“Your ego doesn’t even make the top twenty list when it comes to parts of you I'd like to stroke,” Stanley teased.

“Stan…” Xeno’s annoyance could be heard in the warning tone of his voice.

“Would you believe me if I said that I missed you?” Stanley asked.

Xeno shook his head and replied, “A pointless feeling considering we would see one another at bedtime.”

Stanley pouted and poked Xeno’s cheek as he mumbled, “If you bothered to come to bed tonight and didn’t get caught up in all that sciencey stuff, you mean.”

“That’s still not a word.” Xeno shooed the hand away from his face.

Stanley let out an amused huff and replied, “It's word enough to keep the conversation going.”

“How long are you going to stick around?” Xeno finally sighed. The man’s presence was not as easily ignored as he would’ve liked. He just wanted to focus on his task. “You’re distracting me.”

“As long as I have to,” Stanley declared.

“Stan, I have no idea what that's supposed to mean. Now if you don’t mind, there are things I need to check on.” Xeno made a shooing motion at him. “I can’t focus while being stared at.”

“In that case I'll be taking this,” Stanley reached above his head and grabbed the comfortable cat from its perch on the shelf. He held it to his chest and waltzed out of the lab while humming softly to himself. The cat meowed curiously and Stanley replied, “Adventure is where we're going. Come on, Bear Trap!”

“His name is Pythagoras!” Xeno called after the pair.

Stanley was nearly out of earshot when he shouted right back, “He says that’s just not true!”

It was dark by the time Xeno finally wandered back towards his bedroom. He followed a path of lit candles along the wall. They provided enough light to see by. While the sun had already set, it wasn’t nearly as late as it could’ve been. He’d made the effort to stop his work early enough to make it back before Stanley fell asleep so he didn’t have to hear any complaints tomorrow. Xeno let out an exasperated sigh. Stopping mid-experiment like that was torturous. The man didn’t even realize the incredible lengths he went for him.

Xeno stepped into the room then paused, finding himself momentarily breathless. It’d be a lie if he said that he didn’t find the sight of the other man quite appealing. Especially when he laid across the bed like some languid Greek goddess on a chaise, clearly naked beneath the blanket draped across his lower half. Frankly, Xeno would have to be dead not to be entranced by a sight like that.

Tonight, though, Stanley wasn’t the only naked one in their bed. Xeno’s gaze traveled over his boyfriend and the upside-down cat as he said, “So this is what utter betrayal looks like. I have to say that I wasn’t expecting to learn it from you of all people, Stan.”

“Don’t you think you’re being a little dramatic?” Stanley huffed in amusement. He reached over the cat to pat the free space and hummed, “Come to bed.”

“And lie where?” Xeno asked. He walked over to the side of the bed and crossed his arms. He narrowed his eyes at the comfy feline and said, “Pythagoras you insult me by taking up that much space in _my_ bed when you have your own right over there.”

“Scoot over, Bear Trap.” Stanley hummed. The cat rolled towards him with a soft _mrrmphf_. He smiled as he pet the obedient little guy.

“I can’t believe you two.”

“Oh stop complaining and join us for a snuggle,” Stanley purred. He kept his gaze upon the doctor while he nuzzled the cat with his chin.

For someone who didn’t want a cat in the first place, Stanley certainly got used to having one pretty fast. The pair bonded in a way that Xeno couldn’t have predicted they would. It was... well, it was cute. That was honestly the only way he could think to describe it.

There was something about the soft smile that Stanley showed around the cat which was alluring to say the least. Xeno found himself even more drawn to the man whenever he saw it, even though it wasn’t meant for him. The cat didn’t even comprehend the significance of that expression being directed at it. Xeno simply observed in silence.

He turned his back to the pair and started to undress. Suddenly he was exhausted. He’d probably been in his lab over twenty hours again, which was why Stanley came to check on him in the first place. How long ago had that been, anyway? It was so easy to lose track of time. Heck, he'd probably never bother to eat if not for the meals Stanley dropped off on his way to and from his usual rounds.

The guy took care of him in ways that none of the others would care to and Xeno found himself wondering if that was out of a sense of obligation. Perhaps he was simply the first pet Stanley adopted before Pythagoras came along. What a ridiculous thought. Xeno had no idea where it even came from.

He removed his gloves and set them onto his nightstand. After that he crawled into bed and wormed his way under the blankets. He heard Stanley coo softly and was a millisecond from telling him that he wasn’t in the mood tonight. However, when he glanced at the other man, he saw that all his attention was on the cat. Stanley had the faintest blush in his cheeks as he smiled at the ridiculous feline while it tried to bat at the ends of his hair. Oh, that troublesome _smile_.

Xeno's heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vice grip and his stomach immediately twisted into an uncomfortable knot. Ah. He knew what this was. Implausible though it might be, he understood. To feel even the slightest twinge of jealousy over a cat of all things… Xeno was sure he was losing his mind. Perhaps the lack of sleep really caught up with him. His brow knitted together as he thought about it.

Stanley looked up from the purring cat and asked, “What’s wrong? Oh, do you want me to rub your belly, too? I’ve got two hands.”

Xeno snorted then rolled over so his back was to the blond. He absolutely refused to give Stanley the satisfaction of knowing what he’d just been thinking about. He shut his eyes then grumbled, “I’m just a bit cold.”

There were some shuffling noises and the bed bounced as Stanley repositioned himself. He cuddled up behind Xeno so that as much of their bare skin was touching as possible. Then he adjusted the blanket so it was over their shoulders. It was already much warmer by the time his arm wormed around the doctor’s waist and he purred, “Better?”

“Don’t you have a cat to entertain?” Xeno grunted. He had to admit, this was a lot more comfortable. The body behind him provided a certain kind of warmth that couldn’t be reproduced by blankets or heaters.

“Your comfort is way more important to me, hon,” Stanley replied softly. He kissed the back of Xeno’s shoulder then asked, “Are you still cold? Do you want me to go look for another blanket?”

Well, it was good to be assured that he was Stanley’s top priority, he supposed. That devotion of his hadn’t changed just because he also enjoyed spending time with their cat. Xeno felt that jealousy from earlier begin to dissipate and frankly that was embarrassing. He shook his head and replied, “No, I find this solution to be quite satisfactory.”

Stanley squeezed the arm around him then whispered, “Glad to hear it. Goodnight, Doc."

“Goodnight,” Xeno replied. He heard a meow from somewhere nearby then smirked and sighed, “Goodnight to you too, Pythagoras.”

**Author's Note:**

> Xeno: We will now find out once and for all. This is a fool proof test.  
> Stan: I agree.  
> -both offer the cat the same treat and call it by their preferred name-  
> Cat:  
> Cat: -goes to Stan-  
> Stan, grinning: That’s a good Bear Trap~  
> Xeno: The test was clearly rigged.
> 
> -  
> What even is this??? Whered it come from??? The short answer is my need for Xeno to have a hairless cat. A gremlin adopts a goblin.
> 
> Pls this cat will never live down its hairlessness or terrible name. that’s ok though. They love him all the same and he rewards them by allowing them to pet him. Everyone wins!
> 
> Ill see you again soon XenoStaners… that IS a threat >:3
> 
> -
> 
> Stan, chuckling to himself while petting the wrinkly boy: Shouldve called you Nutsa-  
> Xeno: STANLEY


End file.
